IT'S NOT TOO LATE, BUT NEXT YEAR WE WILL START PREPARING IN MARCH

Before you light the really impressive fireworks, consider the veterans and dogs and cats in the vicinity. If you can go out to the country, or light quiet fireworks, do.

That is not this crowd for the most part though. We are the ones under the bed with the dogs telling them all is well and will be over soon.

Next year we will start together in the spring. We will spend days taking the Thundershirts on and off our scardy pets with many treats involved. We will test medication before it is needed - with our vet team - to see what works best and at what dose. We will spray every surface with Adaptil and stuff all the Kongs. We will figure out the quietest, calmest rooms in our homes and stock them with blankies and toys and treats. And we will buy every edition of every album made by "Through A Dog's Ear."

Artwork by Abby

Today...

Use antianxiety medications that have been prescribed for your pets if they have helped in the past. Give a dose before the day gets crazy.

Stay home with your pets if they are nervous, anxious or phobic if you can.

Do not bring the dogs to fireworks shows or even outside. Even the calmest dog can develop a noise phobia if they are exposed to the loud noises. This is the number one day for lost pets. And the fireworks are no safer for dogs than for a high energy toddler (most likely because of their many similarities :))

Make sure dogs have a quiet, dark place to retreat if they want to and that cats have a high and a low place to go (this is always a good kitty rule of dewclaw).

Hide under the bed with them if you need to. Tell them This Too Shall Pass.

Do whatever it takes to calm their anxiety...and yours.

Have a great holiday Friends. Let me know tomorrow how it went.

I love how photogenic Luna is, but this is one of my favorite pictures of her yet! Photos by Abby, too :)